"We did, after all, live here for months before... this."

[hazlogs]

It is currently 18:03 Pacific Time on Tue Jan 20 2004.

Currently the moon is in the waning No Moon phase (9% full).

Cockroach Mansion -- Parlor

This room is a palette of whitewash and wood tones, a cross between a library
      and an adult's recreation room. To the right of the door way, tall 
      windows with a deep-set seat and heavy earth-brown velvet drapes show a 
      view of the front lawn. The far and left hand walls are inset with wooden 
      bookshelves just over man-height tall; the collection of books is varied, 
      with both fiction and non-fiction. The floor is well-carpeted in a light 
      tan color, and the furnishings -- an old but nice-looking couch plus 
      several armchairs and small tables -- match the decor. One side of the 
      room boasts a fairly impressive-looking entertainment center, complete 
      with high-definition television.
An open doorway leads west out into the front hall.

Rina sprawls on the couch, laptop balanced against one leg. She is tapping away
      at something, her face lit by the dim glow of the screen. The room is 
      dark.

Salem glances into the room, arches an eyebrow, then wanders in and over toward
      her. He leans against the back of the couch and peers over her shoulder. 
      "Going to hurt your eyes."

With a quick keystroke she makes the website disappear, window swirling down to
      a corner of the desktop. She looks up to the scarred man, with a faint 
      half-smile. "Yeah, so."

Salem straightens up with a smirk. "It'll hurt your aim?" he says, as squeaky
      as ever.

"Maybe," she agrees, shutting the notebook and setting it aside on the coffee
      table, plunging the room into ambient darkness. There is a silence.

Salem ruins the effect by turning on the lamp near his chair. "Tell me about
      James," he says as he sits down. His tone's more serious now.

Rina closes her eyes, wincing. She stretches out straighter on the couch,
      putting up her sock feet on its armrest, folding an arm behind her head. 
      "He came to offer to teach me tai chi," she says bemusedly, eyes slitting 
      open to look up at the ceiling.

Salem blinks and echoes, "Tai chi?"

From the front hall, the sound of the buzzer of the front gate sounds.

K. C. calls out, "I got it," as she passes by the front door and does, in fact,
      buzz whoever's at the gate in. Tada.

"I said yes." Her voice remains quiet, touched with hoarseness. "It was late,
      he wanted to crash, so I lent him my room upstairs..." She cranes her 
      neck to look toward the arch and the entry hall. "Holy shit, was that the 
      mystery girl?"

Jean is the one buzzed up, but it takes a while for her to get from the front
      gate to the front door.

Salem's brow furrows. "That was K.C., yes," he says bemusedly. He rubs his
      chin, which is still clean-shaven (despite the fact that, apparantly, 
      he's letting his hair grow back).

K. C. will wait, then, for the visitor, and open the door when she gets there.
      There's open curiosity in her gaze as she looks Jean over, then arches an 
      eyebrow. "Was someone expecting you?"

"Huh," Rina murmurs, subsiding into the cushions. With an effort, she sits up,
      looking over toward the front hall.

Jean takes K. C. in, in a quick glance, then smiles in friendly fashion.
      "Possibly. I'm looking for Mr. Salem? My name is Jean."

Salem pushes to his feet and heads over to the doorway leading out to the front
      hall. "You can let her in, K.C. She's friendly."

K. C. glances over her shoulder at Salem, nods, and steps back out of the
      doorway. "Come on in then, Jean." Now K. C. smiles. "I'm K. C."

Rina's expression darkens, and she bows her head. Her right hand scratches idly
      at the inside of the opposite forearm.

Jean dips her head respectfully to K.C. "Nice to meet you, K.C. Hello, Mr.
      Salem," she says to the Fostern in the doorway.

Salem waves the two Cliaths into the parlor and then retreats there himself,
      resuming his seat. He gives Rina a sidelong glance.

K. C. follows into the parlor and finds a seat for herself. She glances at Rina
      for a moment, then her gaze goes to Salem. "Am I interrupting a meeting?"

Rina's head turns enough to look to Jean; she manages a tight smile in
      greeting, and then glances to KC. "Nah."

Jean trails after K.C., and when she spies Rina's smile, she responds with an
      easier smile in return. "If this isn't a good time...I just came to check 
      up on the situation in the basement," she explains with continuing 
      respectfulness in her voice.

Rina blinks, and looks over to Salem warily, edging forward in her seat.
      "There's a situation in the basement?"

"You mean the potential source of our ghost problem?" Salem asks.

K. C.'s eyebrows lift. "They're coming from the basement?"

Jean smiles at the onslaught of questions, but nods, looking at all three of
      them. "Yes, behind a wall down there."

Rina swallows, paling slightly. "Madonn'," she murmurs, sitting back slightly.

Salem rubs his chin. "I had," he says thinly, "a little talk with Joshua, who
      finally saw fit to share what his ghost friend has been telling him."

K. C. squints a little at Salem, then heaves a sigh. "At least he's telling
      someone. What've they been talking about?"

Salem gets to his feet again and paces past the television, arms folded across
      his chest. "For one, apparantly, there's an entire community of them, 
      that this place is, for them, a safe haven. That they consider it a safe 
      haven despite the fact that it also houses a malevolent entity, or 
      enti_ties_ is... interesting."

Rina chews on her lower lip. "What he said was that... whatever's outside is
      worse."

"Outside, where?" Jean interjects quietly, asking Rina.

K. C. says, "That's something, I guess. That the ghosts think it's safe. If the
      alternative is not even ghosts wanting to stay here, I mean."

Salem smiles wryly at K.C.'s comment, then glances at Rina.

Rina lifts a shoulder. "Wherever the ghosts live, or whatever you wanna call
      it." She swallows, and keeps her eyes lowered. "It's not--the velvet. Not 
      the same place as the spirits... but it's about that bad. At least 
      that's... what I hear."
From afar, Rina is looking remarkably uncomfortable.

Salem's frown softens. He moves over toward the couch where Rina's sitting and
      leans against it, eyeing her with sidelong concern.

Jean frowns. "So, are you worried about the -ghosts-, or...this malevolent
      entity, Mr. Salem?" she asks the Fostern.

K. C. glances around the room. "So there's something worse, outside whereever
      the ghosts are. And we know there's something bad in the Umbra. Where 
      does that leave us?" K. C. just looks confused.

Rina doesn't speak a work, but stares hollow-eyed at the floor.

Salem grimaces. "I'm concerned about whatever it is that's causing this house
      upset," he says, the Jackal voice cracking at the last word. "The spirits 
      in the Umbra are feeding off the ghosts' pain. If that lessens, they'll 
      presumably leave. As for the rest..." He looks at Jean. "What did they 
      say again, in the Umbra?"

Jean shakes her head. "They didn't say much, but took us down to the basement
      and showed us the wall they said 'it' was behind. Whatever 'it' is."

Salem rubs a hand across his mouth. "Well," he mutters. "Barring any other
      concrete plan, we deal with whatever 'it' is and, _hopefully_, that will 
      take care of our problem as well as theirs." He glances at the two Walker 
      types, then at the Shadow Lord. "We did, after all, live here for months 
      before... this."

K. C. says "Then we're sure it's nothing we've done?"

Salem frowns. "Nothing's certain, but I doubt it."

Jean nods once, then, "So, there's no idea what catalyzed the occurences?"

"According to Joshua," Salem says, "it's a cyclic thing."

K. C. says "But how long does a cycle last? And how much worse is it going to
      get?"

Rina moves abruptly, rising and pacing toward the entry hall. "Anybody want
      coffee?" she tosses over her shoulder.

"Black, please," Salem requests of Rina. He's still eyeing her with some
      concern, but as she leaves he turns back to K.C. and shakes his head. 
      "Unknown."

"Yes, please," Jean responds to Rina politely. "Cream and sugar, if you have
      it, please."

"Coffee. Yes. Cream and sugar for me too," K. C. says. "Might not hurt to stay
      awake for a while."

Rina disappears into the kitchen, and before long the coffee machine starts
      rumbling away, its noise audible even in the parlor.

Jean looks between the two Glass Walkers, and asks, "How is it that a Kinfolk
      and a cub seem to know so much about these ghosts?"

K. C.'s shoulders lift. "The cub said that he was talking to them. The ghosts.
      He said they were his friends."

Salem glances over in the direction of the kitchen, then shakes his head and
      turns back to the other two.

Jean's brow furrows slightly. "Maybe it's significant, that they choose a human
      and a cub, instead of you two?"

"They didn't choose Rina," the Walker Elder says dourly. "She has her own
      ghosts. Not ours."

K. C. admits, "I haven't exactly tried to sit down and have a heart to heart
      with them."

Salem rubs the side of his neck, then takes a seat on the couch next to the
      spot Rina vacated.

Jean looks questioningly at Salem's information, but then nods to both Walkers.
      "Well, if anything does change in the next couple of weeks, please let me 
      know. You still want to check it out at full moon, Mr. Salem?"

Salem nods to the Shadow Lord.

There is a musical ringing. K. C. squirms over there on her seat, fishes a
      cellphone out of her pocket and looks at the faceplate. "Dammit. I have 
      to take this. Sorry." She climbs to her feet.